Administrative Directory - Supervising Judges - NYC

Hon. Monica Drinane

The Hon. Monica Drinane was appointed Supervising Judge of Bronx County Family Court in August 2009. She has been a Judge in Bronx Family Court since 2004.

Previous to serving in Bronx Family Court, she worked at the Legal Aid Society’s Juvenile Rights Division as the Attorney-in-Charge of the Division where she oversaw the general administration of the Division and the allocation of resources throughout the City.

Judge Drinane has performed extensive pro bono work throughout her career. She has worked with Southside Mission in Williamsburg, the Center for Immigrants’ Rights, at St. Marks Place, the Family/Community Negotiation Project, Columbia Business School, The Human Services Workshop, and the Center for Battered Women’s Legal Services. She currently serves as the co-chair of the Family Court Rules Committee and is also on the Permanent Judicial Commission on Justice for Children, which is chaired by former Chief Judge Judith Kaye.

Her work with the Commission focuses on Early Intervention needs of children (monitoring implementation of the Early Intervention laws of 1992 and 1993 that Commission helped pass), and the needs of adolescents aging out of foster care. As a member of the Commission, Judge Drinane assisted in developing a booklet, Ensuring the Healthy Development of Foster Children, a guide for judges, advocates, and child welfare professionals. The booklet provides key questions to identify a foster child’s health needs and gaps in services.

Judge Drinane received her law degree from New York University in 1981. She has a Master’s Degree in Theology from Fordham University.